hr: Antiques

Political Collectibles are abundant these past few months, most especially this past couple of weeks as political national conventions were held in America. Both Democrats and Republicans are rallying to campaign either Barack Omaba or John McCain to be the next President come November.

Photo Credit @ essentialestro

What do we usually see during conventions or campaign trail, lots and lots of campaign materials. After all the speeches and a new one is sitting in the White House, there are many collectors who go for the different buttons, badges, t-shirts, etc and save then in their own treasure box.

This summer, an 1896 Chicago Democratic convention badge was sold in an auction with a price of $358.00. Another political memorabilia was sold for $168.00. It was a presidential campaign button for Dwight D. Eisenhower marked with “It’s time for a change” and “I like Ike”.

Collectors can save a couple or two of buttons with the faces of McCain or Obama and they might fetch a good amount of money in the future.

Photo Credit: kovels

One of the pillars in the Antiques Industry died last week after a brief illness and the whole industry is saddened by it.

Richard Kovel along with his wife, Terry was regarded as royalty in the antiques world. The couple through their books and special reports opened the idea of antique collecting as a hobby that is not exclusive for those elite members of the society.

They were the ones who inspired ordinary men and women to have an interest in collecting antiques. They wrote almost a 100 books and numerous special reports dedicated in educating and informing people in the various types of antiques and collectables.

The most popular is the yearly antique guidebook on the estimated prices of every known antique in the world, entitled, “Kovels’ Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide, which has been yearly published and released into the market since 1968. Aside from the yearly book, they are producing the longest-running syndicated weekly column in America, which is being read in around 150 broadsheets and reportedly has around 50,000 subscribers.

The couple also must have written in every popular antique related publication in the U.S and hosted their own successful television shows both in Discovery Channel and HGTV.

His company and family promised to continue what he and his wife started back in 1968. Incidentally, the 2009 Kovels’ Antiques and Collectibles Price List book was just released recently.

Thank you, Mr. Kovel for all the things you have done to the world of Antiques and Collectibles.

Photo Credit @ Benrose, Collectics

Watch aficionados will be treated with several pieces of early 20th century uniquely designed pieces of pocket watch and wristwatch, which will be auctioned at Christie’s this September in New York, Rockeller Plaza and South Kensington in London.

The official website of Christie’s can take online bids for registered users. Here are some of the pieces that are to be auctioned.

A 1900 Solak Aine Paris Diamond Enameled Gold Platinum Pocket Watch, which has more than 200 diamonds. Estimated value between $800-$1,200.00.

Two more keyless openface pocket watches: A 1920 circular dial Keyless Platinum Openface Pocket Watch with estimated value of $714-$893 and another Keyless OpenFace Patek Philippe with circular dial and Arabic numerals with estimated value of $1,786-2,679.

A group of diamond and gold watches from Buccio Garon and Van Cleef & Arpels. Estimated value for the group between $4000-$6000.

Bulgari Watches: A Lady Quartz “Tubogas” wristwatch with an Astrological Pendant and an 18K Gold “Trika” Diamond Watch. The former with an estimated value of $2,143-$2,679 and the other with estimated value of $4,000-$6,000.

For more details regarding the sale and specific description of each time go to their website, Christie’s.

Photo Credit @  Christie’s

Premiere auction house recently focused on what they call as Christie’s Interiors wherein they showcased different collection of furniture pieces from various homes of affluent members of the community.

Recently they had several upholstered sofas, daybed, stool, etc from the Victorian era. Prices ranges from $900 up to $3000, which are quite affordable considering they were designed with very unique original elegant styles that are not what one would usually see on furniture shops.

Check out these various pieces that were put on sale last August.

A Late 19th Century Victorian Kilim Upholstered Sofa
68 in. wide, $1,308.00

A Late 19th Century Victorial Kilim Chesterfield Sofa
29 in. wide, $2,021.00

A Mid 19th Century Victorial Walnut Stool
26 in wide, $951.00

An early 20th Century Kilim Upholstered Chesterfield Sofa with Nail Studding
59 in wide, $1,189

More of the auction results can be viewed at Christie’s. For those who missed the Christie’s Interiors Auction, there will be a lot more days devoted on it this September. Mark your calendar for this following dates: September 2 to 5 then September 9, 23, 28 30 and October 1.

Photo Credit @ Christie’s

A very rare and historical pocket watch made by renowned watchmaker Breguet for the Empress of France, Josephine Bonaparte, wife to Napoleon Bonaparte in the 1800’s was sold at an auction held at Christie’s for $1,341,932.00.

Photo Credit: Christies

The history of the Bonaparte Breguet/Hortense Pocket Watch was unveiled from the archives of the Breguet Workshop. It was found out that Madame Bonaparte ordered the watch back in 1799. The Bonaparte Family was an avid fan and collector of Breguet watches.

The said pocket watch will then go back and forth to the Breguet workshop either for repair or modification purposes. It originally had a more generic medallion but after 1804 a crown was added to it as recognition to the imperial status of Napoleon and his family.

The pocket watch was then given to her daughter, Hortense de Beauharmais, Duchess de St. Leu and according to the archives of Breguet Workshop it was returned to their shop on November of 1835 to be repaired. It took several months before it was given back to the owner.

The 39 mm watch has a diamond-set letter “H” which stands for Hortense is suspended from a gold chain, which was signed by Breguet.

Most antique lovers and those that are into interior decoration already know what are the most expensive lamps in the world; they are Tiffany Lamps specifically the one they call, “The Tiffany Lotus Lamp”.

Photo Credit: Hoyle

It was back on the 12th of December in 1997 where the Tiffany Lotus Lamp entered auction’s history books. It was sold in one of the world’s premier auction houses, Christie’s, for a staggering amount of $2,807,500.00.  Incredible, isn’t it? It is totally amazing since the Tiffany Studios back in 1906 released these Lotus Lamps in the market for only $750.00.

What is so good about these Tiffany Lamps that they gained a very high reputation in the world of glass and lamp making?

Louis Comfort Tiffany, an American artist started the Louis Comfort Tiffany and Associated American Artists Company in 1879, which later on in 1885 was incorporated and became Tiffany Studios. It gained popularity for his stained glass designs, which was considered to be Art Nouveau.  He was already a millionaire during that time, having inherited money and assets from his father. He used the money and family connections to build his empire.

The very first lamp was produced back in 1895. Each Tiffany lamp was handmade. He and his business associates and co-artists, Emarel Freshek and Clara Driscoll, beautifully and intricately designed it

Before the very first Tiffany Lamp was created, Louis Comfort Tiffany first went into the business of stained glass windows. When he saw the excess small glass pieces from the windows, he got the idea of incorporating it in making table lamps and the rest is history.

These days, you can’t easily find originals anymore. There are few that can be purchased in the market but most of them, if not, all of them are super expensive and so people just settle for replicas.

Photo Credit: TiffanySource

The most expensive piano ever auctioned in history is the Alma-Tadema Steinway. It was sold at Christie’s in London for an amount of $1.8M in 1998.

Photo Credit: Steinway

The premiere auction house, Christie’s described the Alma-Tadema piano as the ‘most artistic piano ever produced’.  Legendary piano maker, Steinway & Sons, built it. The Sterling and Francine Clark Institute in Massachusettes purchased it. It was originally priced back in 1880s for just a mere amount of $1,200.

People now at Steinway & Sons said that the price did not surprised them at all since, creating such a beautiful instrument is a work of art and it entails so much creativity and craftsmanship.

Steinway & Sons recently recreated this legendary piano as part of their Legendary Collection to celebrate the famous piano creations they had since the company’s inception. The piano makers took around 20 months to be able to reproduced the Alma-Tadema Art Case Steinway which was designed by one of the popular artists back in 19th century, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema.

The reproduced Alma Tadema Steinway Piano has a price tag of $675,000. It is an exact replica of the one made in 1887. However, the original one has too much history accompanying it, so it was valued more than half of the reproduction. Antiques are quite valuable, so don’t stop collecting.

The antique Chinese clocks especially those from the Qing Dynasty have the ability to make an area look so full of tradition and culture. Most of the early Chinese clocks are just mere reproductions of the early clocks from the West.

Photo Credit: hautehorlogerie

The Qing Dynasty Clocks began a new era of Chinese clock making.  It was under Yongzheng Emperor that a factory was built just for producing clocks for the Chinese back in 1732 and eventually traded them with other countries. Most of the clocks the Chinese made in this era consisted of musical and chiming clocks. The sounds fascinated the Chinese.

Since the clocks are designed in such a way that they will produced a sound either by demand or by a specific time or just by clicking something means it takes some time to make them especially since they are so intricately designed. The clock makers copied the technology of musical clocks from the French but stamped them with their own original designs that are very much rooted on Chinese culture.

These clocks during those times are not for the Chinese ordinary working community since they are a bit expensive. They are mostly marketed for those affluent Chinese who used them as gifts for government officials or for the upper class sector of the society.

In those times, the Qing Dynasty Clocks came from two major provinces in China: Jiangsu and Guangzhou. They will fetch quite a hefty amount provided they are in good condition. The clocks are a proof of the Chinese skills in art and in technique.

The 6th Annual BAZAAR Charity will be a part of the celebration of the Beijing Olympics on August 22, 2008.  The International Olympic Committee or OIC and the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee or BOC are supporting this grandest charity auction in China for 2008.

Photo Credit: trendcomcn

This charity auction will be featuring several limited items specially created for this event alone from different prestigious houses of fashion, art, jewelry and history. There are some magnificent collectables like the Complete Set Collection of the Olympics Games Official Playbill and the Cartier Lucky Charms, a limited Cartier edition celebrating Chinese elements, which are going to be auctioned during a night of fun and sharing which will be attended by around 300 famous people from the world of entertainment, politics and sports.

There will be around 100 local and international members of the press to cover this significant event. The 6th Annual BAZAAR Charity Auction was organized with the helps of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and The One Foundation Project of Chinese superstar Jet Li. Proceeds from this event will go to the Red Cross Society of China particularly in helping the reconstruction program for the earthquake victims in China. The prominent and respected auction house, Sotheby’s will be helping in auctioning the items for the said event.

If interested to attend the charity gala, send your inquiries to hanhan@trends.com.cn or at teresa.junk@sothebys.com

Photo Credit: Trendscomcn

The lost and found of the Marie Antoinette Breguet Watch was the most fascinating intriguing, controversial tale in the horological world. The moment it was commissioned to the day it was lost and to the moment it was announced that it was found brought so many side stories and theories on how it came about.

Photo Credit: hautehorlogerie

Back in 1783, Abrahan Louis Breguet received an order from an Officer of the Queen and that he is to make a watch that would rival any other watch. It must have all the complications and the latest innovation during that time. Breguet was not given a time limit for it and no limitation whatsoever for the price. It was said that Count Axel de Fersen, a secret admirer of the Queen commissioned it.

Breguet then started making one but spent the next 40 years in trying to perfect his work of ingenuity and precision and in doing so, Marie Antoinette was guillotined before she was able to see it. Breguet also died four years before the watch completed. During that time, it was the most complicated timepiece in the horological world.

The watch is now known as The Marie Antoinette No. 160 Breguet Watch. It has all the complications invented during that time and it housed inside a golden case and a crystal dial.

Photo Credit: hautehorlogerie

Sir David Solomons, a known Breguet collector was able to acquire it. When he died, his collection was passed on to his daughter and later on, the Marie Antoinette Breguet watch was donated to a museum in Jerusalem. Unfortunately in 1983, it was stolen from the museum and it was huge loss for watch historians and watchmakers.

Breguet in 2004 decided to make a replica of the Marie Antoinette watch by the documents they have on their Archives and it was presented this year in a wooden case made of the Queen’s favorite oak tree, which was dying already and eventually was cut down. Quite interestingly, when Breguet announced that they will be making a replica of the said watch, they received a call that it will be a case of copyright infringement.

Nicolas Hayek showing the replica Breguet made of the Marie Antoinette

Photo Credit: SwatchGroup

In November 2007, it unbelievably reappeared and reported to have been found by a Tel Aviv watchmaker who claimed that he acquired it from a British collector. Nicolas Hayek, the present Chairman of Breguet was very anxious and apprehensive to see if it is really the lost Marie Antoinette watch. He considered several times in the past if he will offer a reward for the person who can return the historical timepiece.

The Museum said it was in perfect condition but the Breguet appraisers said otherwise when they saw the pictures that the Museum authorized to be published. The Museum said they would display the timepiece this year.